HAWERA ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 28 April 1922, Page 8

HAWERA ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

« ■ ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

In the Borough Chambers last evenng the annual meeting was held. There vas an attendance of about twenty hembers, Mr B. C. Bennett (president) >eing in the chair. The council's report for the year ;tated as follows: A very sucoessful •ear's work is chronicled for the previous season. Stripping operations at ;he hatcheries resulted in a total of J12,00Q brown and 112,000 rainbow, md in addition there were 100,000 3rown ova from Hakataramea. The hatch out was quite up to the best rejults. It was decided to retain the Hakataramea fry and rear to yearling stage, as the results from liberations at this age will prove more satisfactory than if they were distributed as Fry. Messsr Goodson, Tristram, and Law again placed their dams at the disposal of the society, and at the former place 14,400 rainbow fry were placed and fed by him, while at the latter dam 12,000 Hakataramea fry, and at Mr Law's 5000 are held, and the Eltham Factory race 16,000, which will be liberated at an early date. The Hakataramea experiment was so good that an order for 200,000 has been placed. Anglers will see that a determined effort is being made, and prospects are therefore of the brightest. Fishermen have had a most successful season. This year shooting licenses are being handled as well as fishing, and fresh revenue is expected. £50 is being expended for quail, and this fresh blood should increase numbers of birds. At the hatchery there are breeding and holding pens for pheasants and quail. An open season for opossums is being declared, but date of opening has not been fixed. In regard to finance it is stated that revenue from both shooting and fishing licenses is a record, as after depositing £150 with the P.O. Savings Bank a balance of £103 is available for the coming year. The position is quite I satisfactory, and shows that repairs and j additions have been well carried out. Great interest has been displayed by the council during the season, and the exhibit at the Winter Show was the l>est ever made. The personal thanks of the president are due to the vicepresidents, council, and honorary secretary for much loyal assistance and harmonious co-operation. The help of gentlemen with a dam is of priceless value and is keenly appreciated. The sporting instinct of Messrs Knuckey and Vincent (Eltham) and Lundberg (Ararata) is responsible for raising pheasants for liberation throughout all the districts. In conclusion, special thanks are due to all workers, to the hon. auditor (Mr Suisted), and to the hon. solicitor (Mr B. McCarthy) for much useful work. Many poaching cases have been dealt with by Mr McCarthy. The hon. architects (Messrs Duffill and Gibson) have not had much to do. but it is hoped there will be work for them in the future. Special thanks are due to the press, especially the Hawera Star, for much valued help. The curator reported as follsws: The past year has been' successful in rearing yearlings and fry at the hatchery, where no shortage of water was experienced during the summer, M that stock fish are in good condition, especially the breeding fish. The dams j on the properties of Messrs C. Goodson : (Hawera), Tristram (Eltham), and R. I Law (Kaponga) were again stocked with fry, thus enabling the society to hold an extra lot of yearlings. "The stock! ng of the lakes at Waverley witn rainbow has been a success, fish up to 6*lb being caught this year. Most of the pheasant eggs obtained at the hatchery were sent to Eltham, and a ftne Jot or birds have been reared by , Messrs Vincent and Knuckey. Large j additions have been made' to the pheasant pens at the hatchery, which j will allow the holding of more stock ; birds. The society is indebted to the • local stationmaster (Mr Rodie) and railI way officials for arranging the prompt , transport of live stock, and to the fol- ! lowing for use of cars and heln at the hatchery: Messrs R. Law (Kaponga), J- Vincent, R. Knuckey, M FitzKeraii,*r th many oHier "willing heJ ers (Eltham) Klkington and fi 1 Mr ga\° kli ?■ Lambie and Conaglen (Pihama), P Lundberg (Ararat*), J Rutherford (Waverley), B. Bennett V lsr \F' y C-Goodson, T. Struthers, LV - Bargh J p O ynter, L. Rowson, A Pickering, H. James, J. Duffill A H Shaw, Robt. Linton,' F. Stuart W Jellyman, R Crocker, Ray Linton R l"igs 18,490, 2-year brown 163 in Sfi?°* grJTr; rainW yearlings 13,468 and 34 two to four yearsbrown fry 292,000, while 14,000 were kept for stock (of these 5000 'wSe sent to Eltham for Mr Law's dam at Kaporn^); rainbow fry 68,000, while and%X SGnt itO Mr Goo^°»'s dams and 10,000 were kept for stock; brown try were received from Hakataramea to the number of 100,000, of which M? w rl Ilbe™ted and 60,000 kept from t?1 C? ery; 6375 se^n-month S -old tiom Hakataramea were liberated in Wamgongoro between the South road and the pipe bridge; 2160 rainbow yearLakes W6re llberated in Robertson's In proposing the adoption of the reports the chairman said they showed a wide field of activity in the season's work A fine feature of the hatcheries was that almost all the work was done by voluntary labour, the council and committee working together for the benefit of the society. This means that the liberation of fish is done at praeti°i j° .exF )ense ' a great advance on the old times, when carriage had to be paid and the work done by' people with no direct inducement to do it well. Now the f-oimnittee and helpers spread the sport far and wide where arrangecl '

taking each stream and going up and down from the bridges, thus ensuring good distribution and finding water not previously fed. The chairman paid a glowing tribute to the members of the; council, and trusted that the four who were retiring—Messrs J. G. Ruther-! ford, of Waverley; W. Lambie, of J Pihama; R. J. Knuckey, of Manga-' mingi; and A. Spragg, of Hawera, all of whom had done yeoman service, would be re-elected. Dealing with the finances, the chairman said the statement disclosed a very healthy position, better than ever before. Sales of fish were £100 less, and they hoped that before- long they could be done away with altogether and all fish and game reared used in their own streams and bush. There were several fairly large expenses that were not incurred last year, and this made the comparison more favourable, while all land, buildings, and plant were written down to a low figure. The position had been built up quickly and firmly since war times, when it was difficult to keep going. The statement of receipts and expenditure showed that licenses for the season totalled £320 and sales of fish £109, while the principal items of expense were game and fish £124, wages £196, accounts £113, repairs, mainten- ; anee, etc., £67. The sum of £110 was I transferred to the Post Office Savings | Bank, which account now stands at £400, while other assets total £496. The reports and balance sheet were adopted. The question of overcoming the difficulty of dams on rivers was discussed, and it was agreed that every effort should be made to instal fish ladders, so that in spawning time the fish could get upstream. It was agreed, on the suggestion of a member, that means should be taken to clear river banks of gorse for the benefit of fishermen. Mr. B. C. Bennett was re-elected president, and in replying to the expression of confidence in him he said that the position was most encouraging, and the council hoped to put in as good a report, or even better, next year. Mr. C. H. Suisted was reappointed hon. auditor and his help cordially acknowledged. Votes of thanks to the press, the Borough Council, and the chairman concluded a capital meeting.